What’s in this Issue
News
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Entrepreneur Spotlight: Adeba and Nando Oturkar, Founders of PaperSpree
Business Tools & Resources
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Canadian Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) – it’s not too late to apply!
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September 2022
Hello and welcome to the Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation (IEF) September Newsletter! Check out the exciting news, events, and resources made available to inspire you and support your business!
2022 CANIE Award Semi-Finalist Video Release
In August we began the release of our 2022 CANIE Award Semi-finalist videos, produced by Hot Shoe Productions. Each of the Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation’s 28 semi-finalists demonstrate excellence in social innovation and resilience and are exemplars of our nation’s entrepreneurial and innovation strength.
Check out the video release of the award category semi-finalists here and keep an eye out for new videos releasing weekly throughout the month of September!
eQuo #GoSmallCanada Challenge
eQuo knows that many of our nation’s small business entrepreneurs are excluded from Canada’s current ecosystem and is committed to delivering financial solutions that assist SME businesses realize their potential, and the economic and social benefits that come with it.
That’s why eQuo launched the #GoSmallCanada Challenge this year, encouraging us to band together across the nation to support small and local businesses, and share our love of their products and services on social media.
Join IEF and so many others across our nation who are participating in the #GoSmallCanada Challenge. It is easy, and your actions will make a big difference for small local businesses! Participation is easy:
- Shop at one of the local small businesses in your community.
- Take a photo or video of your experience, post on your social media platforms, and share why this business is so important to you and your community.
- Tag the business and at #GoSmallCanada and #town or #city and challenge your friends to do the same.
With just a minute of your time spent in joining the #GoSmallCanada movement, your actions will advocate for and promote small businesses across our nation.
About eQuo: eQuo provides funding and capital alternatives that complement the traditional ecosystem and are dedicated to ALL entrepreneurs and investors, regardless of sex, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.
Entrepreneur Spotlight
Adeba and Nando Oturkar, founders of PaperSpree
This month we are thrilled to shine a light on Adeba and Nando Oturkar, social entrepreneurs, and founders of PaperSpree.
Adeba Oturkar is one of our semi-finalists for the 2022 Seniorpreneur Award for Leadership & Innovation CANIE Award, presented by the Arthur J.E. Child Foundation.
Founders Adeba and Nando Oturkar are social entrepreneurs, putting people and the planet first. They have created PaperSpree to deliver 100% natural and eco-friendly wholesale artisan-made, affordable, and accessible products.
Not a single tree is cut to produce their beautiful journals, notebooks, and stationery. With a commitment to making climate action a lifetime priority, PaperSpree uses high quality “Tree Free” eco paper that is highly tensile. With double-folded strength, this quality paper is superior to typical mill-made paper.
PaperSpree also offers a gorgeous array of composite eco leather accessories, turning pre-consumer material and agro farm waste into environmentally viable and sustainable products. All PaperSpree products are 100% plastic-free, zero waste sustainable products.
Check out PaperSpree’s beautiful eco-friendly wholesale product line up here.
Upcoming Events
Enterprise Toronto, a one-stop source dedicated to helping entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses, will be hosting the Business Financing Forum on September 28th, 2022.
During this free virtual event you will hear from lenders who provide start-up capital and loans to entrepreneurs review the financing opportunities that are designed for small businesses.
You will also hear from speakers who represent organizations that work with entrepreneurs who don’t have access to traditional funding opportunities and will learn about the grants and incentives that are available at the Provincial and Federal levels.
Save the date, and register here for your free tickets.
Startup Day (formally Startup on the Hill) is back this year and better than ever!
On October 20, 2022, this one-day hybrid event hosted by Startup Canada highlights the important role entrepreneurs play in fueling economic growth in Canada, and is centered around empowering Canada’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.
We are proud to announce that Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation will be joining this year’s event, learning how we can better support & advocate for equity-deserving founders and innovators across our nation.
Register today at https://pheedloop.com/StartupDay/site/.
Business Tools & Resources
We hope you enjoyed the Show Me the Money webinar, presented for IEF’s network by Darian Kovacs and Jelly Marketing on September 15, 2022. Even if you missed it, it’s not too late to apply for the Canadian Digital Adoption Program (CDAP).
Launched by the Government of Canada in 2021, CDAP provides grants and resources to help get your business online, give your e-commerce presence a boost or help digitalize your business’s operations.
Eligibility: if you are a for-provide privately owned business with 1 – 499 full-time equivalent employees and have had at least one year of $500,500 in revenue, your business could qualify for a $15,000 grant to develop digital adoption plans, plus funded work placements of recent graduates to aid you in digitizing your business.
Learn more about CDAP and your business eligibility here.
Thank you to our Partners & Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors and partners whose support and investments make our work possible!
Presented in Partnership with UPS
Presented by Prince’s Trust Canada
Sponsored by Meta | Google | Alexandra Horwood & Andrew James Labbad | Ownr | Arthur J. E. Child Foundation | Intuit
Event Sponsor Air Canada
Community Sponsors Giant Tiger | Mitacs | Opportunities New Brunswick
Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation 2022 CANIE Awards, presented in partnership with UPS.
We want to hear from you!
Are you a business owner from an underrepresent or racialized group? Please share your stories and experiences with us.
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